Impunity in Honduras

Honduras has the highest murder rate per capita of any country in the world, with 86 killings per 100,000 people. Since 2007, at least 29 journalists have been murdered; 15 of these have been killed since President Porfirio Lobo took office in January 2010. Government officials – including the army and the police – are often implicated in these attacks. According the Committee to Protect Journalists, the authorities have systematically failed to investigate these crimes.

The Honduran coup of 2009 resulted in an illegal regime that ruled by force, suppressed opposition and censored the press. It was eventually succeeded in 2010 by President Porfirio Lobo Sosa’s government, which immediately offered an amnesty to all those involved in the coup.

The coup split journalists into two camps: those who supported the coup and those who didn’t. Journalists from both sides have been the target of attacks. However, those who seek to expose officials (and others) implicated in the coup, and those who have ties to the ousted President Zelaya, are targeted with much greater frequency.
Similarly, newspapers and broadcasters that focus on police corruption, secrecy in the public administration, or criticism of current large-scale privatization projects are also under attack. Unsurprisingly, self-censorship in the Honduran press is a growing trend.

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